Refreshing Wales’ Shoreline Management Plans

The challenge: Wales’ Shoreline Management Plans needed a refresh

The coastline of Wales is covered by four second-generation shoreline management plans. These set out a shared, holistic intent of management for the coast, including where to defend or not, and why. The Shoreline Management Plans also include an action plan for implementing this intent in the short, medium and long term – up to 2100. 

But new information and legislation meant that these plans needed to be refreshed to more accurately reflect environmental changes, stay compliant, and make the best use of up-to-date information and innovations.

The solution: adapting the plans to account for new information and legislation

Natural Resources Wales called in a partnership of Royal HaskoningDHV and Jacobs Engineering to work on the shoreline management plan refresh. 
Together, we followed the approach we had taken in our recently completed shoreline management plan refresh for England – a project that we undertook for the Environment Agency – to deliver recommendations on how to improve coastal management. 

We reviewed changes in legislation, policy, practice and understanding since 2010 for topics ranging from climate change to funding. And we worked with the relevant authorities and stakeholders to translate this into supplementary guidance for making and maintaining Shoreline Management Plans well into the future.

We also carried out Health Checks at each individual policy unit (around 500 in total) to highlight where the coastal management authorities need to review and potentially update policies, or their action plan and arrangements for implementing them.

The result: updated guidance and a health check of all four shoreline management plans

The refresh of Wales’ shoreline management plans will ensure the four plans are kept up to date with new legislation and emerging knowledge about climate change and its impact on the coast. It will also keep the plans ready and adaptable to policy transitions planned for 2025 and beyond.

The health checks will give direction to the plans, enable delivery of policies, and give insight into which activities and solutions are best suited to address the challenges faced across Wales’ coastline. This will help coastal management authorities ensure all interests are balanced and every policy is affordable and sustainable.